On the comedy series, Breanna saw a girl whose hair was done the same way Brad had fixed her hair with the scarf. “Tom? Do you see that girl right there, with the scarf around her hair?” She pointed to the screen.
“Yes.”
“Do you think the way she has her hair is cute?”
“Yeah, it’s cute,” he agreed quietly.
“Do you think I’d look cute with my hair like that?” No response. “You know Tom, I’ve been seriously thinking about wearing a different style of clothing, too.”
He growled softly in irritation and turned down the television. “It’s not like I was interested in the movie or anything, but since you want to talk, I guess I’ll take a few minutes and talk to you.” He glared. “So, you want to change your style of clothes?”
“Yes.”
“To what?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Something that fits my body better, and maybe something a little brighter.”
He nodded but didn’t smile. “So, you want to stick out like a zit on a smooth face, huh? You know that’s all these latest styles are doing to people. I like you just the way you are. I don’t want anyone looking at you, but me.”
Okay, strike one.“How about my hair? I’ve thought about getting it cut in a style, shorter perhaps.”
He still held a bored expression on his face. “Now you want to do your hair differently? What’s next, Breanna? A face lift? How about a couple of tattoos and nose piercing? Don’t you understand? I like you just the way you are.”
“I know, but other people—”
“Who cares what other people think?” he snapped. “They don’t love you. Nobody can love you the way I do. Besides, you’re not going to be with them for the rest of your life, are you? You’ll be with me, so I should be the one you make happy.”
“But I want people to like me,” she pleaded.
“If they don’t like you for your sweet personality, then they shouldn’t be your friends.”
She paused for a second, trying to think of something that would convince him to change his mind. “Tom? Do you think I’m pretty?”
He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. They didn’t sparkle like Brad’s had last night. She shook away the thought and waited for Tom’s answer.
“Of course you’re pretty. You’re pretty to me, and I think you have a beautiful soul, and that’s all that counts.”
She had a flashback to when she was in high school. That was how all of the popular kids described the ones who were the outcasts.She has a good personality,they would say just to be nice, orshe has a sweet spirit.
“I’m glad I talked to you,” she told him. He smiled proudly as if he’d won, so she quickly added, “But I’m going to think about it a little bit more. You know, if I can’t love myself, then I can’t begin to love others.”
“Where did you hear that line of crap?”
“Oh, come on, Tom. You’ve heard it, too. I know you have. Besides, maybe you might like the new me better if I decide to change.”
“And what if I don’t? You know, I don’t adjust to change very well.”
“Oh, I think you will, especially, if it’s for the better.”
He just shrugged and turned the television back on, and there he stayed until past midnight. She dozed off and on sitting next to him on the couch, but once the television was turned off, she became alert. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and yawned.
“Well, I’m going to go home now. I’ll probably see you tomorrow.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a better kiss. His body stiffened slightly, but once she slid her lips across his, he participated in the kiss.
Right away she could feel there was no excitement. She couldn’t stop comparing his kiss to Brad’s. With Tom, the spark was gone, and if she truly thought about it, the spark had been missing for quite some time.
She wanted to scream at Tom. She wanted him to make her feel loved and beautiful.I want to feel special like when Brad kissed me...But she didn’t dare say any of this to Tom. Instead, she kissed Tom harder, hoping to bring back the excitement they once had.
